Search form

Search form

When the U.S. Navy decided to reduce its energy costs and become more environmentally friendly, it developed the Navy Shore Geospatial Energy Program. The system uses GIS software to track energy consumption on a global scale and at individual facilities. "Geospatial capabilities are changing the way that we all do business," said Sandrine Schultz, energy program manager at Naval Facilities Engineering Command. "We turned data into decisions."

Related Summaries

The ever-changing nature of threats posed to the U.S. Navy's surface vessels is the subject of study and research at a new facility set up by Lockheed Martin in New Jersey. The Surface Navy Innovation Center, or SNIC, draws on industry, government and universities "to promote rapid technology fielding that addresses the Navy's most pressing challenges," said Jim Sheridan, director of Aegis U.S. Navy programs.

Glacial Lakes Energy said its efforts to improve the corn-handling equipment at its ethanol plant in Watertown, S.D., and the corn-storage capacity of its ethanol plant in Mina, S.D., have been successful. On Nov. 3, the Watertown facility took in a record 390,000 bushels of corn in a single day with minimal wait times for trucks, said Brad Schultz, the company's director of commodities and risk management. Meanwhile, the addition of two bins has more than doubled the grain-storage capacity of the Mina plant, Schultz said.

Rail-service delays and reports that China might stop accepting shipments of distillers dried grains with solubles from the U.S. are two major concerns for South Dakota's ethanol producers, said Brad Schultz, Glacial Lakes Energy's director of commodities and risk management. Rail operations are showing signs of improving, but China's action on DDGS has caused prices to tumble, Schultz said. Redfield Energy CEO Tom Hitchcock said his company also still has problems shipping products by rail.

Mapping technology firm Esri is preparing to release a set of tools including mobile applications, maps and a "geo-collaboration portal" with data for 12 U.S. cities as part of an effort to help communities understand and prepare for the effects of climate change. The project will initially focus on cities including New Orleans and Tamarac, Fla. "We felt it was important to establish this collaborative network of individuals and organizations who use GIS to come together to combat the impacts of climate change," said Esri's Jack Dangermond.

Sustainable-building advocates do themselves no favors by pitching their services as environmentally friendly, according to a survey of building owners and facility managers. Rather than talking about climate change and carbon footprints, respondents said, vendors should articulate a compelling business case for green building, promoting energy efficiency and cost reductions as ways for companies to save cash.